The Witness's Suffering
by elriclover07
Summary: when Edward witnesses the most heinous of all crimes he is told that he will be a witness in the trial that follows. he is already unstable but will the pressure get to him?


**Okay, random story alert! I swear some kind of drug found its way into my food and/or drink. But all things aside, here's a frickin awesomely random story! Ch'yeah!**

**The Witness's suffering**

Edward Elric, a semi-normal teenage boy, had just witnessed the most heinous of crimes: human transmutation. He was unstable after the incident but he was still called to court as a witness.

For many days before the trial, he tried to prepare himself by taking various calming medications, having those that were close to him be of comfort, and going to therapy. (**A/n: yes, Ed is very disturbed by this whole situation, if you don't like it…get over it because this is MY story….) **He even had to take sleeping medications just so that he could fall asleep without that gruesome image popping up in the darkness of his resting mind.

"A-al…"

"Yes brother. Is something bothering you?"

"Could you please go and get me some more of those sleep-aids? I ran out and it is almost impossible for me to sleep without them because of that…that THING!"

With the mention of this "thing" Ed burst into tears. Just like any loving brother would, Alphonse approached his brother and patted him on the back, then proceeded to give him a reassuring hug.

"It's all going to be okay brother…Everything will work out, its equivalent exchange after all…"

The day before the trial, Ed went out with Al to get a suitable outfit for the trial that would, hopefully, conceal his automail. This wasn't an easy task, since it was summer and Ed easily got overheated. Eventually they succeeded, and went home pleased with their purchase.

The big day had finally come. Edward was supposed to be at the courthouse at 3pm but he had mistaken the time and arrived an hour earlier than he was supposed to. This gave him the perfect opportunity to calm himself before the trial began. He went through the whole story in his head at least five times.

When the time finally came for everyone to arrive, Ed greeted them respectfully. He remembered he was a witness for the plaintiff, which was the military trying to convict the defense of the crime of human transmutation. He also realized that he would be the first witness and would have to be prepared to answer the questions thrown at him.

The trial had started about ten minutes prior to the end of both opening statements. Thereafter it was time for the Plaintiff to call its first witness, Edward Elric.

As Edward approached the witness stand, the judge proceeded to swear him in.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"Um, I am an atheist and so I do not believe in a "God" but yeah I will tell the truth…"

"Okay we can proceed with questioning."

The judge mumbled something about ignorance and "young people" under his breath. The lawyer approached Edward and asked him various questions about the scene and what happened the night that the human transmutation occurred. Edward answered all of them to the best of his ability. Then came cross examination.

The cross was the hardest part for him because he was under so much pressure. All of the pressure was pushing him to answer quickly but correctly at the same time. It was so hard for him to concentrate! He was getting flustered and eventually cracked. He burst out screaming.

"WHY IS THIS MY PROBLEM?!?!?!? IT'S NOT LIKE I COMMITTED THIS CRIME! WHY DO THESE QUESTIONS HAVE TO BE SO DAMN HARD!?!?!? WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?!?! GAAAAAHHHHHH! YOU ALL NEED TO GET HELP IF YOU HAVE TO SET UP A PETTY CASE LIKE THIS! I MEAN, I KNOW THAT HUMAN TRANSMUTATION IS FORBIDDEN AND ALL, BUT WHY DRAG _ME _INTO THIS?!?! ALL I DID WAS WITNESS THIS SUPPOSED CRIME! I DIDN'T COMMIT IT! I AM OBVIOUSLY UNSTABLE BECAUSE OF THIS WHOLE ORDEAL AND YET YOU FOOLS ASK ME TO COME AND ANSWER SOME ASSENINE QUESTIONS!!!! –huff- ----huff-"

After this outburst the judge decided that no further questions would be asked and that Edward was to be taken out of the building. He had just freaked out in front of who knows how many people so he wasn't surprised that he was told to leave the building and have his psyche checked. But at least he didn't have to answer any more of those wretched questions.

He was taken to an institution for the mentally disturbed and was ordered, by the judge, to stay there for at least 10 hours and undergo tests of all sorts. He complied and after he had "done his time" he was allowed to leave at his own freewill.

He had Al pick him up and take him home. On the way he informed Al that he no longer saw the scene in his head and that he could now sleep without medications. It was a happy ending to a not so happy story. Although this whole ordeal had resulted in his being cured, he still embarrassed himself, and somebody was turned into a homunculus as a result of the human transmutation. But the world isn't perfect, is it?

**Well, random much? Yes it was wasn't it? Oh jeez now I'm talking to myself… I'm going to end up like Edo aren't I? Shoot, got to hide from the men in white coming at me with big needles!! -Runs off-**


End file.
